JOB LOSES EVERTHING

Job CHAPTER 1 Job, a just and perfect man, is blessed with great riches—Satan obtains permission from the Lord to tempt and try Job—Job’s property and children are destroyed, and yet he praises and blesses the Lord.

Job CHAPTER 2 Satan obtains permission from the Lord to afflict Job physically—Job is smitten with boils—Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar come to comfort him.

Job CHAPTER 19 Job tells of the ills that have befallen him and then testifies, I know that my Redeemer lives—Job prophesies that he will be resurrected and that in his flesh he will see God.

Faith in Jesus Christ will help me during hard times.

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026 & Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Job”

Everyone has difficult days, and some people have trials that last a long time. Job’s faith in God sustained him through his trials.

Job 1–2; 12; 13:15; 19

Ask the children to share what they know about Job’s story. What kind of a person was he? What happened to him? How did he respond to his challenges? Point them to verses in Job 1–2 to help them tell the story (see Job 1:1, 13–22; 2:7–10; see also “Job” in Old Testament Stories). Invite the children to share what they feel is the main message of Job’s story.

Old Testament Stories “Job” Images and Video

Job was faithful in his challenges because of what he knew about the Lord. Maybe you and your children could look at pictures of Jesus Christ interacting with others (such as the one below or pictures in the Gospel Art Book). Ask the children what they feel these pictures teach us about who Jesus Christ is and what He is like. What else do we know about Him? Invite the children to read some of the following verses to find out some things Job knew about the Lord: Job 12:10, 13, 16; 19:25–27. Why is it valuable to know these things about the Savior?

As children face challenges throughout their lives, they will need faith that the Savior can help them during their trials and that those trials can “work together for [their] good”

Ask the children how they might feel if they were Job. Who can help us when sad things happen in our lives? Show a picture of Jesus Christ, and explain that Job’s faith in the Lord helped him during his trials (see Job 1:21).

Friend February 2022 “What Should I Do When I Feel Discouraged?”

Trust in God’s plan for you and that trials can work for your good. Trust that your prayers are heard and answered, even if it takes time. Trust that God loves you, and blessings will come.

Read to the children Job’s words in Job 13:15: “I trust in him.” To help the children understand what it means to trust in God, talk with them about other people they trust.

For example, what do we trust our parents to do?

What do we trust our teachers to do?

What do we trust Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to do? Express your trust in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and help the children think of ways they can show that they love and trust Them. (Such as keeping the commandments, praying, etc.)

See also “Trust God and Let Him Prevail” Liahona August 2022

For additional teaching ideas see Adversity

JOB TRUSTS THE LORD

Job CHAPTER 12 Job says, The souls of all things are in the hands of the Lord, with the ancient is wisdom, and the Lord governs in all things.

Job CHAPTER 13 Job testifies of his confidence in the Lord and says, Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him, and He also will be my salvation.

Job CHAPTER 14 Job testifies of the shortness of life, the certainty of death, and the guarantee of a resurrection—He asks, If a man die, will he live again?—Job answers that he will await the Lord’s call to come forth from the grave.

Because of Jesus Christ, I will live again after I die.

Job 14:14

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026 & Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Job”

Job asked an important question in Job 14:14. Maybe you and your children could take turns sharing how you would answer Job. You could look for ideas in Alma 11:42–44, in the video “In a Coming Day” (Gospel Library), or in a song about the Resurrection, such as “Did Jesus Really Live Again?” (Children’s Songbook, 64).

Show a picture of Job, and explain that Job was in a lot of pain because his skin had sores all over it. He had lost his home, and his children had died. But Job knew something very important that gave him comfort. Display a picture of Jesus on the cross or being buried in the tomb (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 57, 58). Ask the children to explain what is happening in the picture. Read Job 19:25, and ask the children what Job knew.
Display a picture of the resurrected Savior (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 59, 60; see also this week’s activity page), and testify that Jesus Christ was resurrected and lives today. Why are we thankful that Jesus was resurrected?

Ask the children to color this week’s activity page. As they do, play or sing a song about Jesus’s Resurrection, such as “Did Jesus Really Live Again?” or “Jesus Has Risen” (Children’s Songbook, 64, 70). Ask them to share how they feel about Jesus, and help them understand that we can have good feelings from the Holy Ghost to help us know Jesus Christ is real.

JOBS FRIENDS ACCUSE HIM OF SINNING

Job CHAPTER 21 Job admits that the wicked sometimes prosper in this life—Then he testifies that their judgment will be hereafter in the day of wrath and destruction.

Job CHAPTER 22 Eliphaz accuses Job of various sins and exhorts him to repent.

Job CHAPTER 23 Job seeks the Lord and asserts his own righteousness—He says, When the Lord has tried me, I will come forth as gold.

Good friends uplift and encourage each other.

Job 16:1–5; 22:5

Come, Follow Me—For Home and Church: Old Testament 2026 & Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 “Job”

When Job was sad, his friends said that God was punishing him because he had sinned (see Job 22:5). If we were Job’s friends, how would we try to help him? How can our words help others when they are sad? (see Job 16:5).

Friend May 2024 “Sharing God’s Love” Thais saw a little girl crying during recess. The girl said the other kids were teasing her for being chubby, and they said she wasn’t pretty. Thais told the little girl they were wrong because she was pretty and special, she was a child of God. She explained how important Nicol was to Heavenly Father, her family, and many others who loved her so much. Bit by bit, Nicol began to smile and be happy again.

Consider asking your children to list some qualities of a good friend and to name a friend who has these qualities. Then you could look at a picture of Jesus Christ. In what ways is Jesus a good friend to each of us? You might think of someone who’s going through a hard time. Plan how you will be a Christlike friend to them.

Ensign July 2010 “Jesus Christ, Our Perfect Friend”

Friend May 2020 “I’ll Be Kind” Action Rhyme about ways to help someone who is sad.

Friend October 2018 “Kaity and Quincy” Kaity, who has Down syndrome, loves her friend Quincy. Quincy always helps her at church. When Quincy’s brother dies, Katie wants to help her friend. She is able to comfort her sad, crying friend with just the right words and hugs.

Friend August 2026 “Weekly Scripture Fun”

Job CHAPTER 23 Job seeks the Lord and asserts his own righteousness—He says, When the Lord has tried me, I will come forth as gold.

Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: Old Testament 2022

What does it mean to “come forth” from our trials “as gold”? (see also the video “The Refiner’s Fire,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Who do we know who has done this? Children might enjoy making something with the words from verse 10 written on it. You might also discuss how Jesus Christ overcame His trials (see Luke 22:41–44; Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–19).

THE LORD TEACHES JOB

Job CHAPTER 24 Murderers, adulterers, those who oppress the poor, and wicked people in general often go unpunished for a little while.

Job CHAPTER 38 God asks Job where he was when the foundations of the earth were laid, when the morning stars sang together, and when all the sons of God shouted for joy—The phenomena of nature show the greatness of God and the weakness of man.

Job CHAPTER 39 Man’s weakness and ignorance are compared with God’s mighty works—Does man even know how the laws of nature operate?

Job CHAPTER 40 The Lord challenges Job, and Job replies humbly—The Lord speaks of His power to Job—He asks, Hast thou an arm like God?—He points to His power in the behemoth.’

Frustrated with his friends’ accusations (see Job 16:1–5; 19:1–3), Job repeatedly asked God why he had to suffer so much (see Job 19:6–7; 23:1–9; 31).

God posed at least 66 questions, demanding that Job answer them. Job could not. (See Job 38–42.)

“It was as if God had patiently and kindly said to Job, ‘If you cannot answer even one of my questions about the earth that I have created, is it possible that eternal laws exist that you do not understand? Are there assumptions you have made that are invalid? Do you understand my motives and how my plan of salvation and exaltation works?

“Job grasped God’s message. He humbly acknowledged that he had not understood, and he repented of attributing his suffering to sin (see Job 42:3, 6). Job recognized that all suffering is not divine punishment. Because his suffering was not caused by sin, Job’s job was to trust God. No matter what, Job needed to remember that God ‘loveth his children’ even though Job did ‘not know the meaning of all things’ (1 Nephi 11:17).”Scripture Helps: Old Testament

THE LORD BLESSES JOB WITH MORE THAN HE HAD BEFORE

Job CHAPTER 42 Job repents in dust and ashes—He sees the Lord with his eyes—The Lord chastises Job’s friends, accepts Job, blesses him, and makes his latter days greater than his beginning.

Liahona August 2022 “Three Lessons from Job”